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Urging a yes vote on Prop. 36

I urge a yes vote on Proposition 36 on the November ballot. It would change the “Three Strikes” law to permit consideration of the seriousness of the third strike.

As it now stands, a third felony mandates a sentence of 25 years to life regardless of the nature of the offense. It has been imposed for such things as theft of a pair of shoes, a golf club, and a package of bubble gum. Authorities need the flexibility to consider whether the third crime threatens the safety of the public.

Putting aside the high cost of incarceration, I believe that such long sentences should be imposed only for violent or serious crimes, and I think that many, if not most, voters believed that was the “Three Strikes” they voted for in 1994.